Umrah is a religious pilgrimage of Muslims that is a sunnah of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW). While it is not an obligatory Ibadah, Muslims perform it throughout the year while travelling with cheap Umrah packagesfrom across the globe. They arrive in Makkah and offer the holy rituals of the minor pilgrimage.
Umrah pilgrimage consists of some specific rituals and obligations. These acts of worship are necessary to perform, otherwise, your umrah would be invalid. Here’s a brief guide on how to perform umrah.
1. Niyyah (Intention).
The first and foremost ritual of Umrah is making your intention (Niyyah) for it. Before entering into the sacred state of Ihram, every pilgrim must make a sincere intention to offer the holy rituals of the minor pilgrimage solely for the sake of Allah Almighty and ask for forgiveness from him.
In addition, pilgrims must clean their hearts of anything worldly and focus on pleasing Allah Almighty through acts of worship, dhikr and charity.
2. Ihram.
Ihram is a sacred state of absolute purity that every pilgrim must enter before commencing the holy rituals and crossing the Meeqat boundary. For this, pilgrims must cut their fingernails and toenails, trim unnecessary body hair and perform Ghusl. Afterwards, the ceremonial ‘Ihram’ clothing should be worn.
- For men, Ihram consists of two simple sheets of white coloured cloth. Nothing else can be worn as Ihram by the male pilgrims. In addition, it is prohibited for men to wear any sort of stitched clothing in the state of Ihram (including undergarments).
- For women, Ihram can be their ordinary clothes that are simple, loose fit and modest (they have to be in stitched form only).
When a pilgrim enters Iham, It becomes prohibited for him/her to;
- Cut hair or nails.
- Wear perfume.
- Hunt/kill animal.
- Have physical relations with spouse.
After assuming Ihram, pilgrims must move towards Masjid-al-Haram to commence the rituals of Umrah.
3. Tawaf al-Umrah.
After reaching Masjid-al-Ahram, Umrah pilgrims must observe the Tawaf of the Holy Kaabah. Each round of Tawaf must begin/end at the place of Hajar-al-Aswad (the Black Stone). In this way, pilgrims must circumambulate Holy Kaabah for seven consecutive rounds while reading specific duas and supplications.
Tawaf is the ultimate symbol of unity of the Muslim community and their devotion to Allah, as they circle the Holy Kaabah dressed in the same white clothes and move around the holy structure.
After completion of the tawaf, pilgrims should also offer two Rakat salat-al-Tawaf near Maqam-e-Ibrahim as well.
4. Sa’i.
After the completion of Tawaf, pilgrims must proceed to perform Sa’i of the hills of Safa and Marwah present within the premises of the Grand Mosque of Makkah. This ritual involves walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah in such a way that the first round counts from Safah towards Marwah. Therefore, the seventh round ends at Marwah Hill.
This act is performed in the remembrance of efforts of Hajra, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), as she was searching for water for her infant son Hazrat Ismail (AS).
5. Tahallul (Trimming/Cutting Hair).
After the completion of the Sa’i ritual, pilgrims can denounce the state of Ihram by finalizing the last ritual of Umrah which is Tahallul (Trimming/Cutting Hair).
Men must shave their heads completely or trim their hair (also permissible). However, women can only cut a fingertip’s length of their hair and not more than that.
6. Exit the State of Ihram.
Upon completing Tahallul, pilgrims can exit the state of Ihram and remove the Ihram clothing. At this point, your umrah is complete and one can resume normal activities, including wearing regular clothes and using perfumes, etc.
Important Notes.
- Don’t indulge yourself in matters that don’t concern you directly and avoid quarrelling with anyone.
- In Ihram, men must keep their heads and feet uncovered.
- Devote most of your time in Dhikr, Ibadah and ask for forgiveness from Allah almighty.
- Women cannot cover their faces and hands in the state of Ihram.
- Learn about the rituals of Umrah and the proper way of performing them beforehand. So that you can make your pilgrimage valid.
- Maintain a friendly and helpful attitude towards fellow pilgrims.
- Learn about the local rules and regulations imposed on pilgrims and abide by the law to avoid any inconvenience during your trip.
So, that’s how you can efficiently perform Umrah and have a peaceful travel experience with the Last 10 Days Ramadan Umrah Packages.
